


Tabloid Jargon

by GooeyHeat



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-17 04:36:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21048413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GooeyHeat/pseuds/GooeyHeat
Summary: Hatate learns of Aya's tabloid and its cancellation. She has some choice words on the subject.





	Tabloid Jargon

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a direct tie-in to Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia, so reading it first, or at least reading the "cancellation letter" at the end, will greatly enhance the experience. It shouldn't be too hard to find a fully scanlated and typeset version on a good manga site. (Also it's really good.)

Normally, Aya Shameimaru's entrance into any given room or area was marked with a spark of energy, as if she herself were a walking exclamation point. A bright smile, an energetic tone, and high spirits carried her through life, even if (and when) she got on the bad side of those around her.

All of those traits were completely absent today, as she pushed through the door of her house with an exhausted, grumpy look on her face, her arms dangling below her slumped shoulders. She kicked off her shoes, dragged herself across the house to a desk in her room, dropped the magazine she was holding onto the table, plopped into the seat, and put her head down. She sat, dejected, in silence, for what could've been anywhere from five minutes to five months in her mind. Hopefully, it could turn into forever.

Fate did not answer those hopes, however, as a knock on her door interrupted Aya's dreary doldrums. She answered in the most eloquent way she could possibly muster in her current state.

"Uuuuuuuuuuggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh," she said.

"...Aya? Are you okay? Can I come in?" a voice from the other side spoke. Aya recognized that voice instantly; it was her fellow tengu, fellow writer, rival, and friend(?), Hatate Himekaidou. These days they'd taken to visiting each other every now and then, taking the time to compare notes, share ideas, talk trash, or just generally chat.

Aya knew she had to give a better response than the thoroughly unhelpful growl that managed to escape from her throat prior. Still unable to call upon her usual boundless energy, Aya settled for "Door's open," and remained in her chair.

Hatate's tentative steps sounded across the silent house, nearing Aya. She stopped next to her and looked down.

"Alright, Aya, what's the deal? I've never seen you this down before. Are you sick?"

Aya turned her head to the side, leaning on her cheek. "Remember that 'secret project' I was bragging about for a while?"

"How could I forget? You wouldn't stop telling me about how it would really knock my socks off."

"Yeah, well." Aya sighed. "It's canceled."

"Canceled?"

"Canceled," Aya repeated. "Done. Kaput. Not happening. Basically, I was starting up a weekly magazine to cover higher-profile stories and more interesting headlines than the normal daily papers, but it... well, it got out of hand." She made a halfhearted gesture towards the magazine on her desk next to her. "You can read through it if you want to see why. Should be pretty obvious, and the letter I sent out about its cancellation is attached at the end anyway."

Hatate picked up the magazine. "Bunbunharu Weekly..."

"I based it off some magazines from the outside world. It seemed like it was some really flashy stuff, but I guess there's some danger to it as well." Aya suddenly sat up and leaned back. "Anyway, I'm gonna lie down for a bit. This whole thing has just messed me up. You're welcome to stick around. There's tea in the cupboard. I'm sorry I can't be a better host right now."

With all the energy of a lightly salted slug, Aya willed herself from her chair to her bed, flopping down as if her limbs simply gave out.

Holding the magazine, Hatate carefully walked out of the room. "Feel better soon, Aya," she said, closing the door.

Hatate was sipping tea at Aya's table when sounds from behind the closed door alerted her to the fact that Aya had woken up. Despite this, she jumped when Aya practically kicked her door open and strode into the living room, a smile on her face.

"Ah, that helped! Turned out I really just needed some rest to sort out my thoughts! Aya Shameimaru can never be kept down for long!"

"Well, that's good," Hatate mumbled, clearly not excited. Aya picked up on her muted reaction.

"Oh, you don't sound very happy for me at all, Hatate! Why is that?" Aya feigned a quizzical expression, then shifted into an evil smile. "Could it be you were hoping to take care of me? I never knew you had such a sentimental side. It's cute!"

Hatate blushed for a moment, then suddenly regained her composure. A small smile came to her face. "Actually, you're right: it _is_ good that you're feeling better. Because now..." Hatate rolled up the Bunbunharu Weekly in her hand and lightly slapped Aya over the head with it. "Now I won't feel bad when I rake you over the coals for whatever the hell you call THIS crap!"

Aya stopped in her tracks. "Well, uh, it's a funny story..."

"Oh no, I don't want to hear your excuses," Hatate interrupted. "I could go on all day about this, but there's one thing, ONE thing that bugged me more than ANYTHING else!"

"Let me guess," Aya said, trying to remain casual. "The part where I took one of your articles and blocked out words to make it sound like you were saying something else?"  
"Well, that was pretty terrible, and had you published it, I'd probably hate you forever, but since the book's canceled and you even bothered to retract that specifically, no."

Aya scratched behind her head. "Then it must be the bit with those... let's call them 'suggestive' pictures of me, you, and Momiji."

"Honestly, I'm mostly just confused about how you made a picture like that. I'm sure Momiji would be quite happy to tear you limb from limb about it, though." Hatate flipped to the last page of the magazine. "No, what's bugging me is this: the cancellation notice itself."

Aya tilted her head. "What's wrong with it?"

Hatate stomped her foot. "What's wrong with it? How about the fact that you couldn't even just take responsibility for your mistakes? This could've been just an admission that the project went wrong and an apology, but instead you throw in this crap about the Lunarians? This is all on you, Aya, but instead of just owning up, you come up with some wild excuse! I don't trust the Lunarians as far as I can throw them, but I find it hard to believe that they were in your head while you were cropping pictures and editing articles!"

Aya couldn't meet Hatate's eyes. "But... but what Hecatia said-"

"Oh please," Hatate interrupted again. "Hecatia seems well-meaning enough, especially for a hell goddess, but she doesn't know you like I do. When you get wrapped up in your worst ideas, you'll carry them all the way through. I know from experience."

Hatate fell silent, and Aya did too. They both stood there for a number of seconds, Hatate glaring at Aya, until Hatate added, "Nothing to say?"

Aya shrugged. "What could I say? You're completely right. That's all there is to it."

Hatate held her glare for a few more seconds, then backed off, sighing. "Well, there's nothing to really do about it now. It's not like releasing an apology for the apology would make any sense, and going out of your way to try and defend the Lunarians would definitely look weird. I just... I just know you can do better than this, Aya."

Aya suddenly looked up and met Hatate's gaze. "Huh?"

"I've seen you at your best. You've got a good eye for photos, you're quick on getting to the action, and you even do worry about the effects your paper has on others. So it just... pisses me off to see you fall back on these crappy habits."

The two fell back to silence for a little bit as Aya processed the things Hatate told her. She racked her brain for some sort of strong comeback or confident line, eventually giving up and settling on something more straightforward.

"Thanks, Hatate. I needed to hear that. All of it."

"You're welcome, Aya." Hatate stood up. "Why don't we go out for some drinks? We'll put this whole mess behind us and celebrate our future successes."

Aya's smile returned. "Sounds wonderful!"

The two got up, and Hatate walked towards the door. Suddenly, though, she stopped and turned around. "One more thing about that cancellation letter, Aya..."

Aya gulped. "What is it?"

Hatate looked down, turning slightly red again. "I read the bit about why you started this project, and, um. Do you... do you really think my writing is that good?"

"Ah! Well, that's, I, um..." Aya started to blush. She stammered for a few moments longer, then stopped and sighed. "Yes. Yes I do. You're an excellent writer, Hatate, and I'm glad you're here to push me forward, even if I end up going in the wrong direction sometimes."

The two stood in silence for a few more seconds. Aya was about to try and break it, but then she saw that Hatate had broken into a smile. Suddenly, Hatate looked straight at her, beaming.

"Ha-HA! Yes! I _told_ you that I could make a paper with such good writing that people would want to read the articles! You didn't believe me then, but now look! Straight from the crow's mouth! I'm never letting you forget this, Aya! The day you truly admitted your respect for the Kakashi Spirit News, and its editor, the wonderful and brilliant Hatate Himekaidou!"

Aya simply stayed quiet as the two put their shoes on and headed out the door, letting Hatate gush about the compliments for a bit longer. As Hatate bragged and talked herself up, Aya found herself thinking that, if it indirectly led to Hatate being this happy, maybe something good came of this whole Bunbunharu Weekly mess after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Aya and Hatate are characters that I tend to come at from many angles at once because I feel like they both have a lot to them in the right light, so hopefully the disparate parts of each one of them that I write come together into a cohesive whole on some level.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
